ARG - Women hoping to host qualifiers for London

BUENOS AIRES (FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women) - Argentina put on a magnificent FIBA Americas Championship for men in Mar del Plata, and now the country's basketball confederation is hoping to stage a major women's event.

The South Americans are among those bidding to host the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women from June 26 to July 1.

Turkey and the Czech Republic also want to stage the 12-team event in which five places for the London Games will be up for grabs.

"We know that it's a very difficult task because there is a very strong economic proposal from Turkey," CABB president German Vaccaro said.

"At the CABB, we have a project that has the objective 2016 Río Games.

"But the girls have gone further with the (good) results coming earlier than anticipated, so we're trying to do everything we can to have the qualifiers in Mar del Plata because they (the women's team) deserve it."

If Argentina are unsuccessful, Vaccaro says the CABB will set up an excellent preparation tour, which would include games in Europe.

The FIBA Central Board will decide on both organizers of the men's and women's Olympic Qualifying Tournaments during its board meeting in Madrid December 10-11.

Argentina, Canada, Cuba, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, Senegal, Mali, Croatia, Turkey, the Czech Republic and France will play at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women.

FIBA